On average Finns ate 18.5 kilos of fowl last year, as compared to 18 kilos of beef. It was the first time that fowl surpassed beef in popularity, according to figures from the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Consumption of fat-free milk and yogurt has continued to climb. In contrast sales of fattier dairy products fell.
Over 137 litres of milk per person were drunk in Finland last year. Over half of this volume was skimmed milk and 37% fat-free milk. Traditional Finnish sour milk accounted for less than 13 litres of the total. Around 22 litres of yogurt, over five of curd milk and nearly seven litres of cream were consumed per person.
Increase in sugar and butter consumption
The use of sugar was up in 2008 by about a kilo per person, with each Finn consuming close to nearly 32 kilos. Butter consumption also increased slightly to almost three kilos per person, while margarine use was down at 7.5 kilos.
The consumption of both sugar and butter fluctuates, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not consider last year's increases as indicative of major changes in consumer habits.